NEWS
Pepper boy wants to inspire more youths
Sitting in the living room of his humble home in La Canoa, Santa Cruz, 15-year-old Ajay Aberdeen might seem like your typical teenager, but he has a deep sense of purpose and a tireless work ethic which separates him from his peers. Aberdeen rose to fame after a video of him detailing his inspirational story as a neighbourhood vendor surfaced on Facebook. He is now seen as a role model, by social media users. Newsday visited Aberdeen recently just as he received a group of British tourists – Jason Chapelle, Benedict Brown and Gianfranco Kong – who said they were moved by his story and wanted to donate pimentos and cash to help start his own garden. Read more here
Machel, Super Blue in rare Road March air
Soca legends Machel Montano and Austin “Super Blue” Lyons have been crowned this year’s Road March winners. Their 2018 collaboration Soca Kingdom was played a total of 336 times at official Carnival judging points across T&T- more than twice as much as nearest competitor Neil “Iwer” George. George’s Savannah was played a total of 140 times while Patrice Roberts’ Sweet For Days came in third with 112 plays. The competition was, however, the closest it has been in years when winners succeeded by much larger margins. Read more here
2,500 cops stay away from duty
As many as 2,500 police officers could face disciplinary action in the coming weeks following one of the largest reports of absenteeism in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. Read more here
POLITICS
Tobago laws for Cabinet
Cabinet will today deal with legislation designed to give greater self-governance to Tobago. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said so at a news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, after the end of an all-day Government retreat there yesterday. Rowley was optimistic this legislation will begin its journey today through Cabinet and onwards to Parliament in the near future. He said the Property Tax Bill was recently laid in Parliament. Saying there will soon be “protracted sittings” of Parliament to deal with several bills, Rowley identified revenue authority legislation and local government reform legislation amongst the bills that will be going to Parliament. Read more here
Muslim groups talk to Dillon today
Several Muslim groups are expected to speak with National Security Minister Edmund Dillon by today on recent detentions of people - including a woman and two mosque leaders - during the probe of a plot to disrupt Carnival 2018. This was confirmed by security sources yesterday. It is understood the ministry asked to meet with groups to speak on the issue. Several Muslim groups have expressed concern over the way some detentions have occurred since last Thursday, when police revealed the plot. Read more here
PM: No persecution
There is no persecution of anyone in Trinidad and Tobago, but there would be “resolute prosecution” of those who seek to damage the peace and good order. So warned Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday at a news conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, following a Cabinet retreat. Read more here
BUSINESS
Monster Burger food truck expands footprint
Three years after opening his first Monster Burger International Ltd (Monster Burger) food truck in Couva, Joel Nanoo has partnered with Patrick Taylor to open a third location at Taylor's bed and breakfast in Maraval – The Saddle House Inn (Saddle House). Business Day spoke with Nanoo about his vision of franchising Monster Burger and to Taylor about the benefits of having a food truck on the B&B's premises. Read more here
Agostini’s adds $0.10
Overall Market activity resulted from trading in 18 securities of which seven advanced, six declined and five traded firm. Trading activity on the First Tier Market registered a volume of 196,601 shares crossing the floor of the Exchange valued at $1,826,888.07. Read more here
High-end restaurants score for Valentine’s
Restaurants were fully booked and flower shops were bustling with activity as many celebrated Valentine’s Day yesterday. The director of operations at Texas de Brazil, Lloyd, told the Express that both that restaurant and Rizzoni’s Ristorante Italiano in MovieTowne, Port of Spain, and C3 Centre in San Fernando were booked to capacity. “We handled the same amount of business as we did in the past, if not more,” he said. Read more here
REGIONAL
Budget Day - Shaw To Present Expenditure Plan For New Fiscal Year
Jamaicans should know how much the Government plans to spend in the new fiscal year when the Estimates of Expenditure for 2018-2019 are tabled in Parliament this afternoon. Before that, the broad outlines of projects and legislative agenda for the Andrew Holness administration will be presented in the Throne Speech by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen during the Ceremonial Opening of Parliament at 11 a.m. Last year, Finance Minister Audley Shaw presented the country with a Budget of $715.5 billion, which was later increased to $805.4 billion. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Florida suspect's digital profile 'very, very disturbing'
Nikolas Cruz, described as a loner by a former classmate, had once been expelled from a Parkland, Florida, high school for disciplinary reasons. On Wednesday, the 19-year-old former student returned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and is suspected of gunning down at least 17 people, in a massacre that has now become one of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. Investigators believe that the suspect pulled the fire alarm to draw people out and get a higher death toll, according to a law enforcement source. Read more here
Barnaby Joyce: Australia PM bans ministers from sex with staff
15th February 2018